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20 yr old T-max, 145 yr old Petzval

Today I got to try out some 21 year old expired T-max 4x5 film, in a 60 year old Speed Graphic, with a 145 year old Frederick Cox petzval lens. Old photography equipment never dies. After a abysmal failure with my first Ilford FP4, brand new, it's amazing to see how this old Kodak film looks, made the year I got married....

Re: 20 yr old T-max, 145 yr old Petzval

Re: 20 yr old T-max, 145 yr old Petzval

You didn't say what you developed it in, but that makes all the difference in the world. I used some T-Max from '93 to test some film holders last year. In Pyrocat-p it was horribly streaked and fogged but in Rodinal it was clean as a whistle.

Re: 20 yr old T-max, 145 yr old Petzval

not to "steal" away from this thread, but I shot some 8x10 tri-x 400(ya, the old stuff), IIRC it was expired in the early 70s, or late 60s. I got it from a guy at the camera show locally. He said he bought it from a studio way back when, and had it in the bottom of his basement freezer under his fish . Well, 20yrs went by, the freezer went bust, and he found this long-lost, and very forgotten box of film(full 50shts too!). I got it for 10c/sheet. It had base fog, but nothing that couldn't warrant some MAS Amidol and water bath treatment to get the print right .

And no "Elvis", I'm not waxing lyrical about Kodak here, or any of its "inherent superior qualities". I'm just saying that I had a good experience with long-expired film. I've shot some agfa b/w from the 60's too, it turned out ok, but it wasn't frozen like this tri-x was...I like Kodak b/w products. Tri-x is my "standard" in 35mm, tmax 400 and acros in 120, and in sheet film, I'm still waffling between Ilford or Efke. I simply can't afford Kodak . If tri-x was $3-4 sheet like Efke or Ilford, I'd be all over it. Its almost $6.50/sheet + tax here in LA... Unfortunate, but true. This 23yr old can only afford so much .